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The North American Aviation P-51 or F-51 Mustang is a long-range, piston-engined American fighter that was used in World War II, the Korean War, and other conflicts. During World War II, Mustang pilots claimed to have shot down 4,950 enemy aircraft, second only to the Grumman F6F Hellcat among Allied fighters.[2]

The Mustang was conceived, designed, and built by North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a British specification. The prototype NA-73X first flew on October 26, 1940.[3] The fighter was originally designed to use the low-altitude Allison V-1710 engine and first flew operationally with the Royal Air Force (RAF) on aerial reconnaissance and ground attack missions. The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a licensed version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin, and armed with six M2 Browning .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns.

From late 1943, P-51Bs (and also P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the USAAF's Eighth Air Force to escort heavy bombers on missions over Germany. The RAF and the USAAF's Ninth Air Force used Merlin-powered Mustangs as fighter-bombers, helping to consolidate Allied air superiority in 1944. The P-51 also saw use on other Allied fronts, such as North Africa, the Mediterranean, and Italy, as well as limited service against Japan in the Pacific War.

At the start of the Korean War, the Mustang was the primary fighter used by the United Nations, until jet fighters, including the F-86, took its place, with the Mustang then being used as a fighter-bomber for ground attacks. Despite the emergence of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After World War II and the Korean War, many Mustangs were converted for civilian use, especially for air racing.